The Nation Newspaper

Tag: supporters

  • Enyimba supporters demand top finish

    Enyimba supporters demand top finish

    Enyimba FC supporters club have drummed up support for the Aba based club even as they demand for a top finish from the team in their remaining league fixtures.

    The People’s Elephants supporters club worldwide president, Steve Okueni has called on the fans of the club to turn in massive support for the team as they get set for the rumble ahead of the remaining fixtures in the league.

    Okueni, in an interview with futaa.com, disclosed that the Aba fans are ready to throw their weight behind Enyimba to ensure the club win the league title.

    “The pride of Nigerian football have returned because we are already in the continent for next football season. We were down when the season started, but we have always believed that we will be up there, and that’s what we have done. We are now calling on the club’s fans from all parts of the world to turn up at every venue in the remaining fixtures in the league,” Okueni stated.

    Enyimba, who are gunning for a double this season after beating Warri Wolves to the Confederations Cup trophy, play host to Akwa United on Wednesday in their week 34 NPFL in Aba and will be looking to gain all the points and prepare for their weekend replay against Kano Pillars in Lagos.

  • Wike urges supporters to be ready to fight

    Minister of State for Education Chief Nyesom Wike yesterday urged his supporters to be ready to fight against those he described as outsiders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Wike, who is leading the group opposed to Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, spoke in Buguma, Asari –Toru Local Government Area when he took his 2015 mobilisation to the base of the militants. He is believed to be nursing a governorship ambition in 2015.

    He also escaped attack from people described as Amaechi’s supporters.

    Buguma is the traditional headquarters of Kalabari Kingdom where the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Otelemaba Dan Amachree, hails from.

    The event was the inauguration of the wards (13) and local government executives of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI). Wike is the grand patron of GDI.

    Wike said: “We cannot be intimidated. Do not allow anybody to provoke you. Rivers people have said enough is enough. If they say they want to meet us in the field, they should come to the field and meet us. We are not afraid of anybody. If you (Amaechi’s supporters) like, you should continue to put your own band there, we will continue to do what we are doing.

    “What I can tell you today, Nigerians know that those friends from this state, they have lost control of the state. This is the first time that Rivers people are seeing that the National Assembly will be making laws for them. The National Assembly members (from Rivers state) should withdraw. They should all come back home.

    “I told GDI people I would be here today. I heard they said they would stop the inauguration. I said nobody could stop the inauguration. I want to thank you for standing firm. Do not be afraid. If they want to fight you, be ready for them. This is not the time anybody will intimidate you.

    “This is not the time anybody will use police to arrest you. If they come for arrest, we will also arrest them back. This is the time for action. Let them know it clearly that we are not afraid of anybody. I have decided to come here (Buguma) to send the message to them. I am not going to be afraid of anybody.

    “I want to tell you, PDP is in charge. All of them are no longer PDP members. All of you here today are PDP members. If they want to confront us, let them go to another party and face us in the election.

    “Why are they running? Why are they hiding under PDP? If they know that they are popular, let them join another party. I thank you for coming out en masse and for refusing anybody to intimidate you.

    “We will continue. Do not allow anybody to separate you from your brother, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. President Goodluck Jonathan is your brother. President Goodluck is an Ijaw man. Do not allow anybody to bring any problem among you. They are only seeking for their personal ambition.

    “We cannot reject our son, a Southsouth person. We will vote for him (President Jonathan) for 2015 presidential election. The wife (Dame Patience) is a Rivers woman. Nobody can tell us stories. We will stand by our brother. It does not matter whatever that will happen.”

    The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, and another ex-militant, Soboma Jackrich, are from Buguma.

    Just as the President-General of the GDI, Bright Amewhule, was inaugurating the members of the executives of the group in the 13 wards and the local government chapter, supporters of Amaechi in Buguma decided to position loud speakers to face the arena, blaring music.

    Amaechi’s supporters were throwing plastic chairs towards the GDI members. They hurled bottles, stones and sachet water at the gathering. The minister suspended the office’s inauguration and quickly left for Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    The development heightened tension in the ancient community, with people scampering to safety, to avoid being hit by the missiles. Soldiers and riot policemen restored order.

    The Secretary-General of the GDI, Samuel Nwanosike, who is also the Rivers Publicity Secretary of the PDP, later in a telephone interview, said the inauguration of the GDI office in Buguma for Asari-Toru chapter was not on the programme.

    GDI President-General Bright Amewhule urged Wike’s supporters of Wike not to be intimidated, stressing that when they follow the minister of state for education, they would not regret their action.

  • Masquerader’s supporters ‘attack’ Ibadan residents

    Masquerader’s supporters ‘attack’ Ibadan residents

    Supporters of the popular masquerader in Ibadan, Oyo State, Oloolu, yesterday allegedly attacked residents of Popoyemoja and Bode in Ibadan South West Local Government.

    Sixteen vehicles were allegedly damaged in the violence.

    Residents were also injured as the hoodlums attacked them with dangerous weapons, such as cutlasses, guns, knives, clubs, sticks and others.

    A source said the incident occurred between 4:30pm and 5pm after the masquerader had visited two prominent Ibadan chiefs.

    The Nation learnt that the supporters, who wore T-shirts with the inscription, Odun Esan, meaning Year of Revenge, on arriving at the area, attacked the residents with dangerous weapons despite the presence of policemen.

    Our source said the residents decried the attack, saying it was carried out as a reprisal following what happened during the festival last year when hoodlums allegedly attacked the masquerader, killing one person and injuring others.

    Besides dispossessing the people of their valuables, such as money and mobile phones, the hoodlums allegedly broke into shops and houses, stealing items.

    Confirming the incident, police spokesperson Olabisi Ilubanafor said some hoodlums, who were prevented from attacking the masquerade, caused the violence.

    She said the hoodlums shot into the air to scare people.

    She confirmed that vehicles were vandalised, adding that the owners were yet to be identified as nobody had reported the incident.

    The police spokesperson said three people, namely: Ibrahim Isiaka, Yakubu Isiaka and Fatai Bakare, have been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). Some of the vehicles vandalised included a Volkswagen Jetta car with registration number AG 483 SHK, AA 893 SHK, Toyota car with registration number AB 470 AAB (Ogun), MUS 952 BE, Merzedez Benz with registration number EJ 161 ABC (Abuja), Merzedez Benz with registration number MS 194 AAA (Lagos), AA 768 TUN (Ekiti), Ford car with registration number AJ 191 YNF (Oyo) and AA 102 RRU (Edo), Honda car with registration number EPE 452 BH (Lagos), AM 59 KSF (Lagos) and AR 19 NRK (Oyo).

    A food-seller, Mrs. Oguntoyinbo Bilikisu, said the hoodlums destroyed her utensils and stole her money.

    A 60-year-old man, Godwin Aneke, said he was attacked and his money and mobile phone stolen.

    One of the owners of the vandalised vehicles, Mr. Foluso Abiodun, said he was at home when the hoodlums arrived and ordered that he should stop washing his car.

    He alleged that in the presence of policemen, the hoodlums vandalised his car and others in the compound.

  • 100 Supporters Club’s members storm Brazil on Sunday

    The Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club on Friday said that more than 100 of its members would fly to Brazil on Sunday to cheer the Super Eagles.

    The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil begins today, while Nigeria will play its first game against Tahiti on Monday and later play, Uruguay and Spain in Group B.

    The club’s Secretary, Samuel Ikpea, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the first batch comprising 100 members would land in the host country on Sunday while the rest would join later.

    “Our preparation has been on top gear and the Brazilian Embassy has been very cooperating. As at this moment I am talking to you I want to assure you that come Sunday, the first batch of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club will leave the shore of this country to Sao Paolo to render support to the Super Eagles. Well, I want to assure you that come Sunday over an hundred of us will be leaving Nigeria via South Africa Airline,” he said.

    The secretary commended coach Stephen Keshi and the players for their doggedness in making the country proud and expressed confidence in their ability to triumph at the tournament.

    “Well, I want to commend Keshi and I want to also commend the boys, they have been trying, they have been doing their best, and so far they have not recorded any loss. Coupled with the understanding among them, the zeal among them, I am sure that I have this level of confidence that they will get to the final of this game and even winning the tournament.”

    He urged the team to be more focused, determined and play as a team to enhance their victory at the tournament comprising world continental champions.

  • Yerima’s supporters to sue police for his arrest

    Supporters of former Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani Yerima, under the auspices of the Yerima Network, have threatened to sue the Kaduna State Police Commissioner for last Saturday’s arrest and detention of the senator.

    The National Coordinator of the network and Commissioner for Water Resources in Zamfara State, Abubakar Tsafe, an engineer, told reporters in Kaduna that they had contacted a lawyer to challenge the constitutionality of the arrest in court.

    Senator Yerima was on Saturday arrested by the police in Kaduna after appearing on Hanu Dayawa, a Hausa live phone-in programme on Radio Nigeria Kaduna, where he said leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) would embark on a peaceful protest at the Eagle Square, Abuja if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to register the party.

    They alleged that for arresting the senator, the Police Commissioner must be acting a script from Abuja, adding that whoever ordered the arrest must be afraid of the rising profile of the senator and his political weight in Zamfara, the North and Nigeria.

    The group also alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the powers that be in the country were afraid of the rising profile of the APC and wanted to do everything possible to truncate the rise of the party.

    They asked INEC not to hesitate in registering APC once it meets the constitutional requirements.

    They threw their weight behind the resolve of the senator not to join the presidential race if Gen. Muhammadu Buhari decides to contest the 2015 presidential election, adding that for the record, Senator Yerima has given his unalloyed loyalty to Gen. Buhari and has promised to support him if he signifies his interest in the poll.

  • ‘Don’t allow APGA die,’ Bianca begs supporters

    ‘Don’t allow APGA die,’ Bianca begs supporters

    •Says Ojukwu remains party’s National Leader

    Some leaders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) took to the podium yesterday in Awka in a last ditch move to save the party from going under.

    Led by Bianca, the widow of the late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, national leader of the party, the APGA leaders issued a clarion call to supporters to keep it afloat.

    The occasion was what the party called ‘the mother of all rallies’ to mark the first year remembrance of the late Ojukwu.

    Bianca, Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, speaking in Igbo, said, “Today marks one year that my husband and our National Leader was laid to rest. I thank all of you that made today possible. This rally is a wonderful one.

    “Nobody can remove our flag from INEC. Don’t allow this party to die and don’t allow this party to be put to shame.

    “I have pleaded with Governor Peter Obi to conduct the local government election and he has agreed to do so. Those who don’t want to continue in APGA will be given a befitting send off but the era where one or two persons were taking decisions on our behalf in the party is over.”

    She condemned the recent destruction of the Ojukwu Library in Owerri by unknown persons.

    Governor Obi who is the National Deputy Leader of the party, reading what he called resolutions passed by those at the rally said the late Dim Ojukwu remains the National Leader of APGA.

    The party, he maintained, is not merging with any other party.

    He said: “We stand by our earlier resolution to continue to support His Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan . We state that our great party remains committed to good governance in Nigeria at all levels of government.”

    He said APGA is out to win more states in 2015 and mentioned in particular Ebonyi, Enugu and Abia.

    Obi said the rally was an opportunity to celebrate Dim Ojukwu for what he was to the Igbo people and to invoke his spirit to continue to be with, and guide APGA as it embarks on the process of rebuilding and strengthening the party.

    Other speakers at the rally included Dr. Tim Menakaya, Maxi Okwu and Odi Nwosu.

    They all expressed happiness at the rejuvenation of APGA and asked supporters to embrace the new spirit and work hard for the growth of the party.

    At the rally were : Anambra State Deputy governor, Emeka Sibeudu; Chinwe Nwebili, Speaker of the State House of Assembly and her deputy, Chukwudi Orizu; Dr. Tim Menakaya, BOT member; Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Ambassador Odi Nwosu, Obinna Obiegue, Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba, Chuma Nzeribe; former members of APGA National Working Committee now functioning on interim basis, namely, Chief Chris Uche, Alhaji Garba Barne, Chinyere Okeke, Bernad Akoma, Sunday Obaslam, Chief Dickson Osu, Tondo Joseph, Ella Nwabueze, Ferguson Okpara, E.A Shonubi, Dr. Gbenga Afeni, Abubakar Adamu, Dr. Sagir Auwal Maidigu, Lawal Barma, Alfred Nwosu, Dr. Isa Jiga, Mrs Victoria Oyeng, Ambassador Frank Ogwuewu, Chief Reagan Ofomba, Okey Udeh, and Chief Okey Ezeibe,

     

  • Wikki supporters club elect new officials

    Wikki Tourists’ supporters club has elected new officials to run its affairs for the next four years.

    The election which was held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium Bauchi under the supervision of elder Salisu Garba, produced Murtala Abdullahi Hayewa as chairman, the post of first-vice chairman and second vice-chairman went to Ali Dan and Garba Umar respectively.

    Also elected are Sanusi Mohammad as treasurer, Danjuma Salisu financial secretary, the post of organising secretary was won by Rotimi Sumson, Haladu Musa became the auditor one while auditor two went to Ali Yellow.

    Ayuba Giade emerged as Public Relation Officer (PRO), Khalid Haladu returned as welfare officer, Garba Umar Gamawa ex-officio, while Mohammad Auwal Idris and Gambo Isa emerged assistant secretary and secretary respectively.

    Speaking after the inauguration, the newly elected chairman Murtala Abdullahi Hayewa expressed gratitude to Almighty Allah for the opportunity given to the new executives to oversee the affairs of the supporters club.

    He then commended those vested with the responsibility of organising and conducting successful elections, especially elder Garba Salisu.

    Hayewa also expressed appreciation to all members of the supporters’ club while assuring them of his readiness to carry everybody along and operate an open door policy.

     

  • Maina’s supporters protest at National Assembly

    Maina’s supporters protest at National Assembly

    Hundreds of supporters of the embattled Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, yesterday protested at the entrance of the National Assembly, Abuja.

    The protesters, mainly youths, under the aegis of the Pensioners’ Children, said they were at the National Assembly to protest against what they described as the witch-hunting of Maina by the Senate, stressing that the senators went outside their constitutional powers of investigation as contained in sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution.

    Spokesperson for the group, Comrade Etuk Bassey Williams, said the call by the Senate on President Goodluck Jonathan was unconstitutional and appealed to the President to disregard the resolution.

    According to Williams, it was untrue that Maina misappropriated N159billion of the pensioners’ fund “when in fact he recovered N251billion from suspected fraudsters, and the recovered amount is lodged with the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

    He added: “The allegation of the mismanagement of N469billion of the pension fund by the Alhaji Maina-led pension task team is not true, considering that the pension task team’s running cost is financed by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.”

     

     

     

     

  • The point missed by supporters of same sex marraige

    The point missed by supporters of same sex marraige

    SIR: I have been following the reports on the National Assembly’s plan to enact law to prohibit same-sex marriage in The Nation. I have read a copy of the bill passed in the Senate and that currently being debated in the House.

    The bill is good because it commands bi-partisan and pan-Nigerian support. Twenty six senators and 49 members on the House signed on to the bill. Those who proposed the bill cut across party, religion and regional lines. The bill defines marriage to be between a man and a woman; it denies recognition to same-sex contraptions contracted in other nations and spells out punishments for those who attempt to conduct same-sex marriages. This is where I have a problem with the bill.

    It specifies a punishment of three years as punishment for the same-sex partners. For those who attend or abet the practice it spells out a five-year punishment or a N2000 fine for an individual or for a maximum fine of N50,000 for a group of persons. Considering the billions available to the gay lobby, the fine is not a deterrent. The amount should be raised to N200,000 for any individual with no option for a group. Additionally, I would like to highlight two other issues. Firstly, when this bill was passed in the Senate, the BBC, CNN, Sahara Reporters and several online commentators claimed that the bill proposed a 14-year jail sentence for participating in a same-sex marriage and draconian penalty for those running NGOs for homosexuals. After reading the bill, I now know this is a lie. I am not surprised because the entire gay-rights issue is built on lies. Homosexual activists are simply using this human-rights lie to force their unhealthy habits on the rest of society.

    Secondly, in your report on Tuesday January 15, you quoted some human rights activists who claimed that the proposed law violates sections 37 and 42 of the Nigerian constitution, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of the United Nations and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. After reading your article, I downloaded the three documents and read them for myself. My comments are as follows;

    The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (Article 2) and the African (Banjul) Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (chapter 1, Article 2); both rejects discrimination based race, ethnic group, colour, sex, language, religion, political or any other opinion, national and social origin, fortune and birth. There was no mention of homosexuality and homosexuality does not fit into any of the criteria. Neither of these documents talk about marriage.

    Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution is too long to be stated here but it guarantees citizens of Nigeria the right to freedom from discrimination based on ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion. Homosexual marriage does not meet any of the criteria listed in section 42, because the constitution does not give freedom from discrimination based on sexual practices/orientation.

    I am convinced that the critics who were quoted on this issue have not read the proposed bill or the laws and charters they claim the new bill violates. It appears the critics of this bill do not realize that the National Assembly is taking a pro-active step to protect the institution of marriage. It is also clear that the critics do not realize that homosexuals are looking for marriage because they will be able to adopt children or use surrogacy to raise children. These will provide them easy access to new homosexual recruits.

    How can anyone say our culture should not influence our laws? Laws are always influenced by culture. The only reason European and North Americans have permitted homosexuality is because these nations have embraced neo-pagan cultures.

    For supporters of the bill, I will say that it is too early to celebrate because a bill only becomes law when it is signed by the President. Today our political elite depends on the West for cheap loans, economic advice, security and family health care, so the question is will President Jonathan sign this bill?

     

    • Nehemiah Sokponba

    Uselu, Benin-City

  • Ikpeba, Supporters Club rush for visa

    Ikpeba, Supporters Club rush for visa

    With 12 days to the African Cup of Nations kick-off, it was a beehive of activity at the VFS Global Agency, Lagos as former Super Eagles ace, Victor Ikpeba and members of the Nigeria Supporters Club were among many fresh applicants seeking entry visas to South Africa.

    SportingLife gathered that the ex-African Player of the Year who was greeted by admirers last Friday submitted his international passport for visa renewal, likewise members of the Supporters Club who stormed the Billing Way office in Oregun, Ikeja of the visa processing agency to submit the applications for close to 50 of its members.

    However, members of the Supporters Club will have to wait till the end of this week to see if they will be cheering on the Super Eagles against the Stallions of Burkina Faso as the visa agency informed that it would take the South African embassy six working days for it to process visas for fresh or old applicants.

    SportingLife checks revealed that for the past two weeks, the agency staff have been forced to work extra hours as the number of applicants seeking visas to watch the African Nations Cup in the Rainbow Nation has risen dramatically as the Agency now handle close to 500 visa applicants daily.